Simple Turkey Stock for Gravy

When you finally open up the bird at zero-dark-thirty on Thursday morning to get him in the oven, and you pull out those conveniently paper-wrapped organs from his 'cavity', take a minute to make yourself a rich stock that will be the basis of your gravy at mealtime. This could not be easier, and is one of those things that real chefs do that amateurs like us classify as 'secrets'. It's very healthful, and you have total control over the fat and sodium content.

Put a four-quart pot on the back burner, fill it with water (mostly full, within two inches of the top, enough to cover the stuff that you're about to put in there), and turn the heat on low. Unwrap all the organs, neck, etc, and put them in the water. Add a bay leaf. Add a half-dozen peppercorns. I know you have some onion ends, paper and all, and some celery butts lying around, left over from making your stuffing. Trim the final hard end off the celery butts and put a few big slices of celery heart into the pot, along with the onion ends. Bring this up to a simmer and let it ride. This should just barely bubble all morning. Do not boil this! We are coaxing the flavors out of the organs. Do not add salt! Trust me, it's salty already, and you can add salt to the gravy right before you put it on the table.

While the turkey is resting, take out all the solids and give them to the dog (not the neck, as it's got small bones in it, and you'll spend your Thanksgiving at the Emergency Room at Angell Memorial in Boston, instead of on your couch in Rowley), but save the liver. Strain the liquid through a paper towel into a two or four-cup measuring cup. Yes, we all wish that we had bolts of cheesecloth lying around, but if you think I'm going to the supermarket on Thanksgiving morning for anything other than a portable defibrillator for Aunt Barbara, or another carton of Pall Malls for Uncle Bob, you're wrong. Now, mince the liver and set it aside. Spoon a few tablespoons of grease out of the roasting pan and throw it out. Put two tablespoons of flour into a small cup and add a little of the stock, stir this into a paste with a fork. With the roasting pan over a low heat, add the flour paste to pan drippings and heat it until it bubbles, swirling it all around the bottom of the pan. A big tablespoon of butter would be nice right now. Don't brown this, but make sure that it actually cooks, so that you remove that raw flour taste. You have just made a roux, the basis for a multitude of fancy sauces and stocks. It's OK if you brown it, just don't burn it.

Put a cup of stock into the roasting pan, along with the minced liver and heat it through, swirling it all over the bottom of the pan, scraping up any loose bits of whatever. Take a look at it. Take a look at your guests. Is the gravy thick? Is it thin? Is there enough? Feel free to add stock until there's enough gravy for everybody and it's not as thin as water. How much is enough? Two cups should take care of a dozen guests. You can always add a little white wine, but heat it through to take out the alcohol. You can always add another tablespoon of flour, but be careful, because you haven't cooked that through, and you don't want the guests to taste the flour. If you like, pour this off into a small saucepan to keep it hot. Finish it with another tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper to taste. Real gravy, real easy.

There you have it.